


Kaiju Groupie

by hollydermovoi



Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: AU, F/F, Newt and Herman are Norma and Hermia, Pre-Movie
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-19
Updated: 2014-05-19
Packaged: 2018-01-25 18:15:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1657844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hollydermovoi/pseuds/hollydermovoi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's family day at the Shatterdome, and for some reason, Newt isn't thrilled</p>
            </blockquote>





	Kaiju Groupie

Occasionally Newt became just a little too entranced by her colleague’s body. But only occasionally! Most of the time it was Hermia’s smokin’ mind that turned her on. She was only human after all- a genius human. It was hard to find someone who could keep up with her Science! Mode, and surpass it, and it was even harder to find such a person who also happened to be female. And Hermia Gottlieb, smartass mathematician was all that and more. 

She was also married.

Even if she hadn’t been, Hermia still would’ve been way out of Newt’s league. So Newt admired from afar, and covered up all semblance of her crush with snark.

If there was one thing she knew how to do, it was drive people away from her real feelings. Frowning absently she rubbed her lower right side, completely missing the calculating gaze that followed that move with a confused frown.

*

Her lab partner was insane. 

Tiny, curvy, colorfully tattooed and verbose, Dr. “Newt” Geiszler (yes, Newt wasn’t her real name, but nobody knew her real name, not even the Marshall, if rumor were to be believed) was definitely a genius- albeit a genius with no respect for proper lab protocol. She drove Hermia crazy.

She couldn’t help but admire her a little for that. Too many people tiptoed around her because of her leg, as if it was her mind that had been injured, but Newt didn’t. Instead she hurled pieces of Kaiju willy-nilly and sang show tunes or pop songs that hadn’t been played since at least two decades before the first Breach, let alone after. During their first week as lab partners, Hermia had been convinced that Newt was sent to personally torment her as a living demon incarnate, but after getting to know her, her perspective shifted. Now, when they were apart, Hermia missed her manic lab partner. They’d been working together for ten years, longer than any other person she’d ever worked with before including her husband. Which reminded her, she had a favor to ask. 

“Dr. Geiszler,” she said stiffly, and waited ‘till Newt’s eyes flicked up to meet hers. “My husband is coming tomorrow- part of the whole see- your- family- before- the- Kaiju- end- our- world event that the Marshall is throwing.” Newt blinked at her, and Hermia realized that her dry humor had once again flown right over the biologist’s head. Trying not to flush with shame, she hurried onto her point. “Anyway, this will be the first chance I’ve had to see him in about four years-and who knows when I’ll get a chance like this again?” Or ever again, was left unsaid, but both women knew it was there, lingering ominously. “Dr. Geiszler- Newt, I know we have our differences, lab cleanliness being one of them but-“   
“But you wanna make a good impression on the hubby, and this lab ain’t gonna cut it. Don’t worry, I understand. By tomorrow, it’ll be like…it’ll be like it’s all your lab, you’ll see.” Hermia eyed the Kaiju blue dripping on the floor dubiously, and just couldn’t picture it. But Newt’s attention wasn’t on her any more; it was on the Kaiju spleen she was viciously dissecting. With a shrug, Hermia limped her way back to her blackboard, prayed Newt would keep her promise and assumed that was the end of it ‘till half past the hour when Newt suddenly threw the spleen into embalming liquid and ran out, shouting over her shoulder that she had to go see the Marshall and that she’d clean the lab when she got back. 

She did not see Newt again that night, and Hermia bit back the disappointment she felt. She wasn’t able to restore order to her half of the lab in one night, let alone Newt’s. Well, she’d been complaining about Newt’s disorganization since their respective departments had washed their hands of their eccentricities and housed them together. This mess would not surprise Victor all that much, though she could already sense his calm censure at the sight. No matter. There was no use in crying over spilt milk, as they used to say, back in the days when milk was plentiful. Nowadays, one cried as one wished, especially over the spillage of precious dairy rations.

She was making her way to her quarters, which was past the Marshall’s office when she heard Newt’s voice raised in anger. “Let me reiterate Marshall, that if something should happen while he’s here, I shall take it as a sign that the ‘Dome’s Safe Zone Policy has been violated and I shall have the right to leave without penalty. Are you in agreement?” Hermia couldn’t hear the Marshall’s response, but she heard Newt’s snarled “Good,” and before she thought to back away from the door, it swung inward, revealing Newt, eyes and cheeks bright with rage, chest heaving in anger. “Are you alright?” she queried softly.

Newt wouldn’t meet her eyes. “No,” she muttered to the floor, then quite rudely pushed past to Hermia and scurried towards the lab, leaving Hermia wondering who he was, and what sort of person the Marshall might allow into the Shatterdome after a valued scientist had flagged them as a possible breaker of the Safe Zone Policy, which was quite strict. She thought about heading back to the lab to check in on her colleague, but her leg was already protesting the day’s strain mightily, so she headed onwards to her room, where her sleep was restless and full of unanswered questions.

**Author's Note:**

> Just a friendly reminder that I am currently abroad, and wouldn't even have posted this if I hadn't already been working on it prior to departure. Will be back with more updates in July


End file.
